Captains Outrageous (TV series episode)
Captains Outrageous is the thirteenth episode of the eighth season of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, as well as the 186th overall series episode. Directed by cast member Burt Metcalfe, the episode was written by Dennis Koenig; it originally aired on December 10, 1979. Synopsis Father Mulcahy is becoming irate over being repeatedly denied promotion to Captain, while the doctors find themselves temporarily running Rosie's Bar when the proprietor is injured in a bar fight. Full episode summary There's another round of promotions coming, and Father Mulcahy has his hopes up he will finally get promoted to Captain. Col. Potter writes Mulcahy a glowing letter, bursting at the seams with praise. Meanwhile, during a drinking session in Rosie's Bar, a fight breaks out, accidentally sort of started by Winchester, of all people. The fight gets so out of control that even Rosie is injured, having to rest up in Post Op with cracked ribs. With Rosie out of commission, it leaves her bar vulnerable to the thievery of her shifty waitresses, who Rosie claims will rob her blind if given the opportunity. Margaret offers that they should all run the bar while Rosie recuperates, and after some hesitancy Hawkeye, B.J., and Winchester agree to help out. They have Rosie teach them the tricks of the trade, like shaking down the waitresses and watering down the drinks. Meanwhile, the new Captains List comes out, and once again Mulchay isn't on it. The normally meek Mulcahy is enraged - he's furious at the "dunderheads" in the Pentagon who passed him over once again. He storms out of his tent, leaving Col. Potter alone. Instead of calming down, Mulcahy's anger grows, and when he's asked to break up a fight between two patients in Post Op (the ones who started the fight in Rosie's), he does so by threatening to beat them both to a pulp. It works. Back in Rosie's Bar, Winchester gets in an argument with a drunken G.I. (played by G.W. Bailey), which leads to the G.I. wanting to deck Winchester. The G.I. is thrown out of the bar by an Australian MP named Muldoon (John Orchard), who walks in expecting his usual free drink, an "arrangement" with Rosie that Winchester knows nothing about. This causes another row, and Muldoon storms out. A few days later, everyone meets at Rosie's, celebrating her return to the bar. But there's another reason to celebrate: Col. Potter is here to announce that, thanks to some calls Klinger placed to the Pentagon, Father Mulcahy has indeed been promoted to Captain. Later, Muldoon returns to shut down Rosie's Bar for various penny-ante reasons, blaming Winchester, whom he snidely calls "Chauncy Uppercrust." Mulcahy, full of brio thanks to his new Captains bars, steps in to try and settle the dispute. Research notes/Fun facts * The Australian Military Police Muldoon is played by John Orchard, who played Ugly John in the earlier seasons. * G. W. Bailey (who has already appeared as Rizzo in The Yalu Brick Road) returns to play a G.I. who is obviously not Rizzo. For one thing, the character here does not have sergeant's stripes, and he doesn't recognize Winchester. Also, this character says that his girl has left him for a "college boy", but when we see Rizzo again in Promotion Commotion, he proudly tells of his "all-American wife" and son. * The title is a spoof of Captains Courageous, a novel by Rudyard Kipling. Guest stars/Recurring cast * John Orchard as Muldoon (Australian Army MP) * G.W. Bailey as The G.I. * Paul Cavonis as The Greek * Sirri Murad as The Turk * Eileen Saki as Rosie * Momo Yashima as Suni * Uncredited appearances by Kellye Nakahara, Gwen Farrell, Jo Ann Thompson, Roy Goldman Category:Season 8 episodes